


Daisy Chains

by ProdigyBlood



Category: South Park
Genre: ...maybe, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Gender Fluid Kenny, Happy endings all round, Heartbreak, M/M, Romance, Time Skips, Timeline Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-07-13 02:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16008572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProdigyBlood/pseuds/ProdigyBlood
Summary: Every couple has their ups and downs, especially when they’re still young and finding themselves.Follows K2, Stutters, Creek and Bendy though their teenage years





	1. Meteor Showers

**Author's Note:**

> Welp, I did it again. I’ve started _another_ new fic when I’m meant to be working on original content. Oops?

**Meteor Showers**  
_Twelve-years-old_

The stars twinkled like Christmas lights in the otherwise inky blackness of the vast nights sky. They cast a ghostly light on the blanket of snow below. It was the perfect night for it; not a single cloud to obstruct the trails of light and mist that decorated the sky as the meteor shower graced their presence and lit up the night.

On a night like this, anything could happen. On a night like this, Kenny McCormick, who had always been immortal, felt that, right now, he was invincible. 

There was a certain power in invincibility. One that made the boy who spent his life hiding behind his hood feel brave. Brave enough to confess at least one of the secrets he held close to his chest. He twisted his head to look at his friend lying next to him. 

They were above Kenny’s house, lying on the floor of one of the abandoned SoDoSoPa buildings, buried in blankets with a flask of hot cocoa at their heads. Kenny wasn’t sure when it had happened, but it had become their sanctuary, a place where they could escape from the world and just enjoy the judgment free company of one another. Kenny hoped that today wouldn’t be the exception. 

It took Kyle a moment to realise his friends gaze had shifted. He twisted his own head and locked eyes with Kenny’s large blue pair. The blond had his hood up but it was uncharacteristically loose, revealing every freckle and strand of slightly too long hair that framed his face. Kyle gulped. There was an intensity in his eyes that was rare to see. It made the redhead nervous, though he wasn’t sure why. 

“Um, dude… The meteor shower – ”

“I wanted to tell you something.” It was rare for Kenny’s voice to be unmuffled. He had a beautiful voice, one that made Kyle wonder why the boy had given up opera. It seemed a shame, really. Although, if he hadn’t, he wouldn’t be here right now – alone with Kyle – and that would _definitely_ have been a shame. 

The Jewish boy instantly forgot about the spectacular natural phenomenon happening above their heads in favour of giving his undivided attention to his friend. 

“Sure, dude. Go ahead.” 

Kenny chewed on his lip, suddenly feeling a lot less invincible as his nerves crept in. Kyle looked so earnest, though, his green eyes wide and inviting and completely judgement free. At least for now. 

Kenny took a deep breath. 

“I like to wear girls clothes,” he confessed, wanting nothing more than to tug at the strings of his parka, pulling his hood around him tighter, where it was safe, _familiar_. He somehow resisted the urge but he couldn’t bring himself to keep eye contact. He was afraid of what he might see. He was sure there would be some form of horror or even disgust; boys weren’t meant to enjoy wearing pretty skirts. It was weird. _Wrong._

Of course, Kyle surprised him. He _always_ surprised him. 

“That’s cool. You always looked super cute as the princess, dude.” There was no judgement at all in Kyle’s tone. Kenny couldn’t help but wonder whether he had misunderstood. (And had Kyle really just called him cute?!) 

“Like, I want to wear skirts at school,” he pressed, suddenly desperate for Kyle to understand. He could feel his cheeks heating up and he wasn’t sure whether it was due to the compliment, his passion or his embarrassment. Perhaps it was a mixture of all three. 

“I think you should go for it.”

Okay, apparently there was no confusion. 

“…You don’t think I’m weird?”

“Of course you’re weird, dude. But not for that reason.” Kyle poked him in the cheek and smiled cheekily at him. 

A comfortable silence fell between them as their gazes returned to the spectacular sight above them, though neither of them really paid it much mind, too lost in their own thoughts. 

Kenny couldn’t believe it. He’d known it was Kyle he wanted to tell first, known it was Kyle who’d be the kindest, but he’d still expected his friend to laugh at him, at least until he realised how serious Kenny was. To be accepted straight off the bat without any questions… Perhaps Kenny should have put a little more faith in Kyle. 

“What do you think the guys will say?” 

Kyle thought about it for a moment. “Cartman will be a dick, but don’t worry. I’ll kick his ass.” 

Kenny smiled at that. He was pretty sure Kyle would kick Cartman’s ass either way, but it was nice to know his friend had his back. 

“So, do you need to go shopping?” Kyle asked after another short silence. “I could come with you?” There was a hopeful glimmer in Kyle’s eyes that Kenny couldn’t bring himself to extinguish by admitting he already owned a bunch of cute girls clothes. He still had a bit of money saved from his part time job at City Wok, he could afford a trip to the mall. Especially if it meant he got to see Kyle Broflovski smile some more. 

 

“Have you noticed how we always seem to end up together when there’s a meteor shower? Why is that?” Stan Marsh swung higher, tilting his head back to stare at the sky. His breath puffed visibly in front of him and his gloved hands clutched the cold chains a little tighter. 

“Well, gee, I don’t think it’s _every_ time.” 

Stan still wasn’t quite sure how he’d ended up in the park with Butters Stotch of all people. They weren’t exactly close. He’d always thought Butters was a bit of a dweeb, really. Good for a laugh at his expense, but not a whole lot more. Sure, Butters hung out with Stan and his friends at school but they certainly weren’t on friendly enough terms to hang out alone. 

And yet, here they were. 

“Jesus, Butters, don’t take everything so literally.” He swung a little higher. It was a good way to fight of the bitter nights chill.

“Sorry, fella,” Butters said. There was something wrong with his voice. Stan stopped swinging and turned to face the boy who was twisting his own swing gently from side to side, his gaze fixed on his feet. 

“What’s the matter with you?” Stan cringed a little at how blunt the question came out. 

“Oh, um, nothing really.” Butters wasn’t a particularly convincing liar. Still, Stan wasn’t sure he cared enough to press the matter. He didn’t want to end up getting dragged into Butters screwed up family problems. He had enough of his own for a lifetime. 

Silence fell between them as Butters raised his gaze to the sky. Stan watched as the blonds eyes grew wide in wonder as he gazed at the spectacle above them. He looked so innocent, his sadness twisting into awe that lit up his face.

Stan felt his stomach turn. He looked away quickly. 

“What about you?” Butters asked the sky, though Stan figured he was talking to him. 

“What do you mean?” He turned back to look at his companion. From his angle he could clearly see the scar that ran across Butters left eye. He realised he’d never asked the boy how his vision was after that terrible accident those few short years ago. He wasn’t even sure he’d ever really apologised for the part he’d played. He wondered whether it would be weird to bring it up now but, before he could decide, Butters was answering his question. 

“Well, why are you out here in the cold all alone?”

“I’m not all alone.”

Butters turned and smiled wonderfully at Stan, whose stomach rolled once more. Had he eaten something bad? Why did he suddenly feel like throwing up? “I guess you’re not.” 

“My parents were arguing,” Stan found himself admitting, much to his own surprise. Butters wasn’t on the short list of people he’d generally feel comfortable pouring his heart out to. But, once the words were out, Stan found himself glad it was Butters he was talking too. After all, out of everyone, Butters was the most likely to understand. 

“Gee, I’m sorry, fella.”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it. I just don’t want to have to listen to it, you know?”

“Yeah,” Butters said sympathetically. 

“Do your parents argue?”

“Only with me.” 

It had been at least a year since Stan had seen Butters interact with his parents but he remembered quite clearly how they’d used to treat the boy. It sounded like nothing had changed. 

“I’m sorry, dude.”

“I know they love me in their own way,” Butters said. “But, oh boy, sometimes they just make me so mad. Dad’s always tellin’ me there’ll be heck to pay if I don’t sort my act out but they never sort out theirs.”

“Parent’s suck, dude.” 

Butters didn’t agree, but he didn’t disagree either. They went back to their silent swinging, their gazes returning to the sky. 

 

“AH!!!” Tweek jumped as an unexpected hand appeared in his peripheral vision and offered him a steaming mug of coffee. Of course, it was just Craig. He should have figured, really. His parents were still at Tweek Bros. and Craig was the only other person who cared enough to make him coffee. 

“Nice setup,” Craig said, nodding his head in approval at the deck chairs Tweek had set up in his back yard. “Sorry I’m late.” 

“I thought you were going to miss it, man!”

“Not for the world.” Craig ruffled Tweek’s hair (‘Gahh!!’) and sat in the empty deckchair. 

Tweek was bundled up in a coat several sizes too big, a scarf haphazardly wrapped around his neck and a puffball hat unceremoniously thrown over his wild locks. His mitten clad hands clasped his steaming coffee tightly, as if his life depended on it. He really couldn’t look cuter. Craig had a hard time tearing his gaze away from the boy to instead stare at the sky. Somehow he managed it, though. After all, he’d been looking forward to this meteor shower all week and had been boring his friends silly with different facts. Only Tweek hadn’t gotten fed up, holding on to every word Craig had said as if nothing interested him more. 

Craig was happy that they shared a love of space. He was even happier that it was _him_ who had inspired Tweek’s love. He really was so lucky to have such a wonderful person in his life. 

It still amazed him sometimes to think that their relationship had blossomed over misunderstandings and other peoples happiness. Despite that, it was the single best thing to have ever happened to him. Nobody else could ever come close; they understood one another in a way nobody else ever could and accepted the flaws that others judged them for. They made each other happy. They completed one another. They were comfortable in each other presence and didn’t need to rely on words to pass the time. 

As if to prove that beyond a doubt, they spent the next fifteen minutes sat in a comfortable silence, both held in captivated awe over the endless sky and the many wonders it held. 

“You’re cold.” Tweek eventually broke the silence. Looking back down to earth, Craig was greeted by a different kind of beauty. He would never tire of looking at Tweek. He could do it all day. 

Tweek’s trembling hands were holding out his still warm cup of coffee. The jittery blond didn’t share his coffee with anyone, as Clyde had once learned the hard way. Craig was a stoic boy, rarely showing his emotions, but right now he couldn’t control the smile that broke across his face, stretching muscles that had probably forgotten they existed. 

He accepted the coffee and took a small swig. His bones had already warmed thanks to Tweek’s unexpected act of generosity but the coffee helped too. 

“What about you?” Craig asked, though Tweek couldn’t possibly be cold bundled up as he was. 

“I’m okay, but Jesus Christ, man! You should have worn a thicker coat. What if you catch hypothermia and die?! What if one of the Meteor falls and hits us and we get trapped and you freeze to death?”

“Babe, the chances of something big enough to trap us falling are like one in a million. There’s more chance of a tiny rock killing us instantly.” He regretted the words even before Tweek’s small scream rang out in the otherwise silence. “That won’t happen, though.”

“Grr-But-”

“Tweek, honey.” Craig put down the mug of coffee and reached out to take Tweek’s mitten-clad hands. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“Promise?” He could never get over how big Tweek’s green eyes were. He sometimes wondered whether he could fall into them and vanish forever. 

“Promise.” He squeezed the blonds fingers and allowed another small, reassuring smile to form on his lips. 

“And what if aliens fall down, man?!”

“Then I’ll beat the aliens up,” Craig said simply, picking up the coffee again and passing it back to his jittery boyfriend. Tweek wrapped his hands around the mug and gulped the last of the tepid liquid down in one go. 

Caffeine fix done with, Tweek turned to smile at his boyfriend, almost stumbling over his next words in his excitement to get them out. “I’ll help you, man! Grrr- Those aliens won’t stand a chance against us!” He pumped the air excitedly, causing Craig to laugh out loud. 

They clasped hands again. 

Craig couldn’t remember if he’d ever thanked the Asian girls for bringing Tweek Tweak into his life. He returned his gaze to the sky and said a silent thank you then. 

 

“If it pleases and sparkles, I suggest we discuss the small matter of… Wendy and Stan.”

“What?!” Outraged, Wendy Testaburger stood up. “Objection! It’s none of your business what goes on between Stan and I.” 

“Wendy,” Bebe hissed from her left, nudging the other girl in the ribs. 

“ _What_?” 

“Well… You have to admit, your relationship with him gets in the way of other things.”

Wendy was furious. These girls were meant to be her closest friends and yet were they really standing here with the audacity to suggest – 

“Are you trying to imply that I should let other girls date Stan?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. “Is that seriously what this is about?” 

“Wendy, of course not – ” Heidi Turner started to protest but Lola cut over her. 

“-You and Stan break up so often that you’re clearly not right for each other. Because we love you we let this go on for a while but now it’s getting ridiculous! There are other girls who have expressed interest in Stan Marsh and your indecisiveness is holding them back. It’s time to let go, Wendy.”

Wendy opened and closed her mouth, eyes narrowed as she stared around the room. “And you all support this motion? That – That I should break off with Stan for real?” 

Bebe slipped a hand onto her arm and squeezed it gently. “Wends, we’re not suggesting you _never_ date him again but you’ve gotta admit it, girlfriend. It’s not fair for you to claim dibs on a boy who you only want to date when it suits you. You’re not together right now, right? Let some of the girls try their luck. Stan’s a catch and you know it.”

“But… I love him…” Wendy’s voice came out pathetically weak and unconvincing and several girls arched their eyebrows in scepticism. 

“If you really love him, you’ll let him go,” Jenny Simmons said. She didn’t even flinch at the horrible look Wendy sent her way. “Look, Wendy. We think you’re standing in the way of his happiness with your selfishness.”

“I am?” Wendy furrowed her brows. Could it be true? She’d certainly never meant to do something so selfish but, when it came to Stan, she couldn’t help it. He made her indecisive. He made her question everything about herself. 

“Look, let’s just give it a go, okay?” Jenny said. “If you decide that Stan is your one and only then everyone else has to back off, how’s that?”

Wendy gulped. She didn’t like this one bit, but all pairs of eyes were on her and, if what they were saying was true, then she was being incredibly selfish not only to Stan but also to her girlfriends, too. Who was she to lay claim to a boy she wasn’t even a hundred percent certain she wanted to be with? 

She cleared her throat and clenched her fists. “Okay,” she said finally. “I’ll back off and we’ll let Stan decide. Does that sparkle with all the girls?”

“Sunshine!” they chorused in return. 

Wendy sat back down. Her whole body felt numb. 

“It’ll be alright,” Bebe said, leaning over to whisper in her ear. “Who knows, maybe it’ll even do you some good.”

“Maybe,” Wendy said, though she doubted it. 

When they filed out, a short while later, Wendy left with Bebe. They’d waited together until everyone else had left as Wendy hadn’t really wanted to face anyone else now that their committee session was over. She had a lot to think about and spending extra time around the girls who put her in this situation was certainly not advisable. She didn’t want to say or do something she’d later regret. 

As they pushed open the doors and the cold nights air slapped them in the face, Wendy tried to push all thoughts of their meeting from her mind. She could dwell on them later, when she was alone. Right now, she wanted to forget about it all and just enjoy some time with her best friend in the whole world. Her best friend whom was currently rushing ahead, pointing excitably up to the nights sky. “Look!” 

Wendy rolled her eyes but raised her gaze. She gasped lightly as she took in the view. “I’d forgotten about the meteor shower. It’s so beautiful.”

“Let’s stay here and watch it together!” Bebe encouraged, nudging her friend until Wendy laughed lightly and smiled. Bebe had always been good at cheering her up. She couldn’t imagine her life without Bebe Stevens in it to get her into trouble. 

“Okay then,” she said, linking their arms together. “Hey, B? I’m glad you’re my friend.”

“Oh please, Wends! Of _course_ you are!” 

They giggled together and practically skipped over to the nearest bench where they sat back to back, resting their heads on one another’s shoulders.

Unbeknownst to the other, each girl made a wish on the shootings stars. Only one of them would come true, though neither girl would know that for several more years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve always sucked at writing long chapter but I am hoping to try and make future ones at least a little longer. Future chapters won’t always follow all four couples - sometimes it’ll just be one, sometimes two (you get the idea) but I’ll try and give them all equal screen time as they experience their ups and downs with falling in love.


	2. Shenanigans (part 1)

**Shenanigans (part 1)**  
_Thirteen-years-old_

The carnival was in town. Not just any carnival but _the_ carnival. It had been raved about online by critics and the general population alike. Word had spread, as word generally does, like a giant game of Chinese whispers about how spectacular it was, the _best_ night of your life they promised. A magical event where dreams come true. The rumour mill went as far as to claim that the mayor had sold her soul to get it to even consider visiting their small, redneck mountain town.

It was all a little far fetched, Kyle felt, but he was excited regardless. Not because of the carnival and its so promised magic, but because of what he’d been planning in the lead up to it. 

The night had been announced months in advance and Kyle had circled the date on his calendar, counting down to it with large red crosses. The reason he’d been so eagerly anticipating it? Well, he refused to share that knowledge with _anyone_. It was a secret, he’d say when asked. Nothing special he’d promised, and it wasn’t, not to anyone else. To him, though, it was everything. 

It had seemed to take forever to arrive but finally tonight was the night. For one night only, Carnival de Ouroboros was in town. Kyle was determined to make sure it was one hell of a night. 

“Kahl, get the sand out of your vagina and hurry the fuck up!”

“Shut the hell up, fatass!” Kyle sniped back. He’d been trailing behind his friends, keeping a sharp eye out. He knew the stall was here somewhere, she’d assured him via twitter just the night before. 

“What is it you’re looking for, dude?” Stan asked, arching an eyebrow. He was walking hand in hand with Sally Turner, his girlfriend of the past two months. Stan had confessed to Kyle that he was just dating her to make Wendy jealous but, seeing as how it’d been almost a year now since Wendy had broken up with him, Kyle didn’t think it would work. For a long time he’d believed Stan and Wendy were endgame but, now that he was a teenager and maturer, he felt wiser in the ways of love. Not that he, himself, had ever been in love or anything…

“You weren’t checking out her boobies were you?” Kenny asked playfully, falling back to nudge Kyle in the ribs and nod his head over at one of the carni girls handing out fliers advertising some Mystic Meg tent or other. Kyle didn’t really know or care. He was more concerned with finding a certain booth amongst the labyrinth of stalls. Seriously, this event was _huge_. 

“Of course not!” he spluttered, feeling his face heat up as Kenny happily linked arms with him. 

Today the blond had his hood down, his locks pinned back from his freckled face with pink clips that Butters had given him. They matched the tulle skirt he was wearing. Kyle was still getting used to Kenny without his hood. It generally depended on the blond’s mood as to whether he wore it up or not, but, either way, he was almost always clothed in the oversized orange parka so that it could swallow him up as and when needed. Cartman being Cartman had made some dickish comment about how it ruined an otherwise acceptable (‘as dudes wearing chicks clothes go’) look but that was just Cartman and Kenny never really took anything the fatass said to heart. Kyle wished he could be more like that sometimes. He had a terrible temper and a bad habit of taking _everything_ Cartman said to heart. 

“I wouldn’t blame you, dude,” Kenny said. “They were incredible.”

“Kenny you perve,” Sally said, though her light tone suggested she wasn’t really that pissed off. “Don’t objectify women.” 

“Sorry gorgeous.”

“Dude! Don’t call my girlfriend gorgeous.”

“And why the fuck not?” Sally stopped walking and crossed her arms. Apparently now she _was_ pissed off. 

“Well, because… you’re _my_ girlfriend?” Stan said, suddenly looking absolutely terrified. 

“And that makes me ugly?” She pouted and a panicked Stan shook his head frantically. 

“Not at all, dude!” he said quickly, his face redding further as he noticed her reaction to him calling her ‘dude’. “It’s just, well… it’s Kenny! He’ll get you pregnant just by looking at you with those slutty eyes.”

“Dude, not cool,” Kyle chipped in quickly. “Kenny’s not a slut.”

Poor Stan just dropped his gaze to the ground, uncomfortable by all the negative attention that seemed to have suddenly been tossed at him. It didn’t help that Cartman was cackling uncontrollably, clearly having the time of his life. 

“My hero~!” Kenny squeezed Kyle’s arm and grinned. “But let’s leave poor Stanley alone, shall we? He’s naïve, not a dick. Isn’t that why you like him, Sal? That, and his hot bod.” Kenny winked. He always knew how to diffuse awkward situations. It was one of the things Kyle loved about him. Not that he _loved_ Kenny. _Gross._

And, just like that, the tension was dispersed. Sally retook Stan’s hand, made some comment about Stan having a very _hot bod_ and started leading him away. Cartman, his amusement being replaced by boredom, followed after them. 

Kyle looked at his arm, still linked with Kenny’s. Why did his stomach suddenly feel like it was doing backflips? 

“Uh, we should catch up, dude,” he said, glancing at his friends retreating backs. 

“What’s the rush?” Kenny asked. “I wanna win one of those!” He pointed eagerly to a stall to their left. The prize offered were several plush pink octopi wearing top hats in a variety of sizes. 

“Are they wearing monocles?” Kyle arched an eyebrow and slowly followed as Kenny skipped over. 

“Why _wouldn’t_ they wear monocles?” 

“Touché.”

“Do you remember the carnival back when we were kids?” Kenny asked thoughtfully as he leaned on the counter, waiting for the carni’s attention. “When you called shenanigans over those crappy Terrance and Philip dolls?”

“Dude, I’m hardly going to forget that. Cartman thought he was a Vietnamese prostitute!” 

They were laughing together as the stall runner came over. The nice thing about carnivals, Kyle found, was that none of the Carnie folk judged Kenny for how he dressed. Then again, Kenny was quite cute for a boy so maybe they just couldn’t tell? Either way, it was nice not to have the urge to punch someone in the face. He knew Kenny hated him making a fuss over how some of the locals stared or made snide comments but their behaviour just made his blood boil. Who the fuck were they to judge. Skirts or not, Kenny was a better person than the entirety of South Park put together and more than deserved to be recognised as such. 

“How many do I have to hit for the large one?” Kenny asked. 

“All twen’y,” the man answered. 

The game had quite an elaborate set up, only accentuating the fact that this was indeed a famous carnival with money to throw at even the cheapest of stalls. He doubted he’d need to call shenanigans here. 

The game itself reminded Kyle of that mini game from Zelda 3DS. The one Kenny was so fond of playing, where he’d had to shoot the moving rupees with a bow and arrow. Except here he had to shoot the moving octopi with a gun filled with blanks. 

He hit all twenty. Of course he did. Kenny wasn’t Mysterion for nothing. 

“Impressive, kid,” the man said, handing over a large pink octopus. Kenny hugged it to his chest, beaming ear to ear. 

In that moment, seeing the happiness on Kenny’s face, Kyle couldn’t tear his eyes away. 

“Not falling in love with me, are ya?” Kenny asked playfully, noticing his friends gaze. As Kyle’s cheeks started to redden and his mouth opened to attempt some sort of protest, Kenny grabbed at his arm and started dragging him away, blue eyes fixed firmly forward. “Come on, we should catch up with the others!” 

Confused by the whole exchange, Kyle just allowed Kenny to drag him along. 

“There you fags are,” Cartman said when they finally found their friends. “I’m seriously. You guys better not be hooking up behind our backs.”

“Why’s that?” Kenny asked, his tone light although he didn’t meet Kyle’s gaze or wink as would be normal Kenny behaviour. “Would you be jealous?”

“Fuck no!” Cartman scoffed. “Just bad enough I’ve got to hang out with one love sick asshole, don’t need you two fagging out is all.”

“You could always hang out with someone else, fatass,” Kyle snapped. “In fact, please do!”

“Ay! Shut yeh goddamn dirty Jew mouth.”

“Don’t call me a dirty Jew you fat shit!”

“Jesus you guys,” Stan complained, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Are you ever going to give it a break?” 

“It’s how they do foreplay,” Kenny said, leaning his head on Stan’s shoulder to watch his two friends argue. “Where’d Sally go?”

“She bumped into some of the girls and had to have an emergency meeting about something. Dude, I just don’t get girls.”

“Girls are easy. It’s them two I don’t get.” Kenny nodded his head at Cartman and Kyle who were still bickering and throwing insults at one another. 

There was a brief silence, broken by Stan’s uncertain voice. “Are you and Kyle – ?”

“No,” Kenny said, his voice a little tight. Stan scrutinised him for a moment and then nodded. 

“And do you… y’know? Like guys?”

“You’ve known me for almost thirteen years and you’re only _just_ asking about my sexuality? Stan, you disappoint me!” Kenny poked the noirette playfully. 

“Well you always seemed pretty straight to me. Until, y’know…”

“Until I started wearing girls clothes, you mean?” Stan blushed awkwardly, fixing his attention firmly back on his arguing friends. “You do realise I dressed as a princess for months while we played Stick of Truth, right?”

“So you’re… gay?” 

Kenny laughed at his friends cluelessness but before he could respond, Kyle was marching over, face full of thunder. Cartman was nowhere to be seen. Kenny was sure he had heard a distant ‘Screw you guys, I’m going home.’ 

“Remind me why we’re friends with him?” Kyle said. His fists were clenched tightly and appeared to be shaking. 

“Because it’s safer to be classed as his friend over anything else?” Stan suggested. “Just ignore him, dude. Come on, let’s go find Sally.”

“You guys go ahead,” Kyle said. There was something in his tone that drew Kenny’s gaze to him but the red head only smiled, as if his worry was unnecessary. “I just wanna cool off. I’ll catch up, promise.” 

“Come on dude,” Stan said to Kenny. He knew Kyle too well to argue and besides, he was worried he’d get it in the neck from Sally if he didn’t track her down soon. Like he’d said to Kenny, he really didn’t get girls. 

He wondered about continuing his conversation with Kenny as they walked off but, before he could, Butters appeared through the crowd, looking a little flustered. 

“Hey dude, what’s up?” 

“Oh, hey there, fellas!” Butters troubled expression instantly morphed into a large smile. “I’m sure glad I bumped into ya. My mom’s awfully sore at me. I only jus’ managed to give her the slip. I stood up to her an’ told her off, jus’ like I said I would. I said ‘Mom, I love you an’ dad but you’re mean ol’ bullies an’ I won’t stand for it no longer. One o’ these days you’ll be too old to look after yourselves and I’ll lock you away in a home an’ forget all about ya!’ Oh boy, she didn’ like that.”

Kenny laughed. “What did you do this time?” 

“Gee, apparently I was being too excitable. I only asked if we could get some cotton candy. An now I won’t get none at all cus’ they wouldn’t let me take any money with me.”

Butters looked so heartbroken about it that Stan couldn’t help the words that slipped out of his mouth. “I’ll buy you some.” 

Once again Butters face lit up like a Christmas tree. “You would? You ain’t got nothin’ better to do?”

“I think Stan’s avoiding his girlfriend,” Kenny said brightly, his eyes twinkling as he looked at his dark haired friend for a moment longer than necessary. Stan mouthed ‘ _What?_ ’ but was only met with a knowing smile. 

“Why would you do that?” Butters asked. “Gee, I think Sally is a swell girl. You’re a very lucky fella, Stan.” 

Stan made a noncommittal noise in return, his gaze firmly fixed on the floor. Sally _was_ a nice girl but he really wasn’t sure she was the girl for him. He tried to convince himself that it was because Wendy was his one and only but the longer they spent apart, the less he missed her. He really couldn’t understand it. Wendy was everything he’d ever wanted and yet he found himself thinking about Butters more than he ever did about her. Who knows; maybe he was just done with love for a while? Either way, since the meteor shower all those months ago, he’d found himself worrying about Butters more and more. He understood a little about how shitty the boys parents were and he thought it sucked a whole lot that nobody else seemed to give a damn enough to show any concern. 

So _he_ made the effort to show concern. 

“Come on,” he said, still ignoring the unanswered question hanging over him. “I’ll buy you both cotton candy.”

Butters clapped happily as Kenny yelled his trademark ‘ _woohoo!_ ’ 

“Say, Kenny, where’d you get that swell teddy?” Stan had been wondering about the giant pink octopus his friend had been carry around, too. A part of him wondered whether Kyle had bought it for him, which made him, once again, wonder what was going on between his two friends. He wasn’t sure exactly when it had happened, but Kenny and Kyle had become very close over the last couple of years. Sometimes he wondered whether he was being pushed out. Sometimes he wondered whether he minded. 

“Won it~” Kenny said proudly. “First try, too!”

“Oh wow!” Butters said in awe. “Boy, you sure are talented, Kenny!” 

“I sure am,” Kenny said with a flirtatious wink. As Butters reddened, Stan found himself grinding his teeth together. Instead of saying anything, he steamrolled over to the cotton candy stall, leaving his friends dawdling behind. 

He knew what Kenny was like. Kenny had _always_ been a flirt. So why was his behaviour bothering him so much today? 

“Three please!” he practically spat at the vendor. The woman gave him an irritated glare but accepted his money and passed over the treats. Stan managed a small smile in thanks before turning his back on her and returning to his two friends. 

The smile that Butters gave him when he handed him his cotton candy could stop planets in their tracks. It was as big and bright as the sun and, though Stan didn’t really understand why, it make his breath hitch and his palms sweat. His stomach rolled and he swallowed heavily, not wanting to throw up its contents all over the confectionary he’d just purchased. 

“Well thank you so much, Stan!” Butters said, tearing some of the sticky, cloud like treat off and poking it into his mouth. 

“Yeah, thanks dude.”

“No problem,” Stan mumbled busying himself with his own cotton candy so that he wouldn’t have to look at Butters beam or Kenny’s smirk. 

He couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. Maybe he was just tired. He hadn’t slept that well the night before, after all. Mostly, that had been due to Sally texting him every fifteen minutes with what she was planning to wear to the carnival. She must have changed her mind fifteen times and, each time, Stan was forced to type out a different series of positive emojis that connoted how pretty she looked and how he loved the outfit and how, no, she wasn’t pissing him off _at all_. It was tiring, that’s what it was. 

Stan had never had to endure that when he’d dated Wendy. He remembered Cartman complaining about Heidi and her outfit changes but he’d never imagined it was something he’d have to suffer through. The main problem was that he wasn’t sure whether it bothered him because it was annoying or because he really just wasn’t that _in_ to Sally, despite how pretty and kind she might be. (Stan couldn’t deny that she was both of those things, no matter how much she annoyed him.) 

As if reading him mind, Butters squinted at him. “Gee, you sure look tired, Stan. Are you okay, fella?” 

No one had asked him that today. Not Kyle, not even Sally (who, annoyingly, seemed as chipper as ever. Did girls even need sleep?!) and the question caught him by surprise. 

“Oh,” he said. “Um, yeah. I just didn’t sleep well.” 

Before Butters could respond, a gaggle of girls were breaking through the crowd. Sally was at the front. “There you are, babe!” 

Stan had to resist the urge to pinch his nose. 

Traitors git that he was, Kenny poked Stan in the arm to get his attention. “I’m gonna go find Kyle. See you later, dude.” 

Before Stan could protest, Kenny was slipping away into the crowd, clutching his octopus close to his chest as he moved. He wasn’t really a fan of big crowds if he were honest. The bigger the crowd, the easier it was to be trampled to death. In a crowd like this, he just wanted to pull up his hood and hide behind his parka. He settled for cuddling Steve (there was no finer name for such a dapper octopus really) close to him as he scanned the mass of people for the familiar flash of red and green. 

He tore off another chunk of cotton candy, letting it dissolve on his tongue as he walked. Had he been too harsh, running off as soon as Sally returned? Maybe, but Stan really had to figure it all out for himself. And that boy was nothing if not confused. Kenny prided himself on his skill of reading people and Stan? Stan had a lot of issues in love and life that he needed to figure out before he could truly be happy. 

He was pretty sure Stan had it bad for Butters, too. _Huh_ , he wondered when that had happened. 

Talking about having it bad… 

He spied Kyle clutching a paper bag to his chest, green eyes scanning the crowds for something or someone. Kenny smiled as he watched him. He knew that Kyle was straight, that they would never be anything more than friends but _damn_ , he’d been realising recently that he had it _bad_ for the red head. I mean, could anyone blame him, really? With an ass like that? 

He had long since decided that being Kyle’s friend was enough. Just being able to spend time with the boy made his heart swell with happiness. He didn’t need any more. 

He was content. 

Brushing down his skirt, Kenny took a deep breath and then skipped over.

The smile Kyle sent him as he spotted Kenny approach was like a punch to his gut. He halted in his tracks, suddenly feeling shy. He reached for his parka strings but remembered too late that his hood was down and instead only resulted in poking himself in the face with cotton candy. 

Okay, so _sometimes_ he was content. Other times he felt like he was drowning. And Kenny was an expert at drowning. He was an expert at dying in general. 

“Hey,” Kyle said, closing the gap between them, apparently unaware that Kenny was currently immobilised. “I was just looking for you.” 

Kenny forced some form of a smile onto his face. He was pretty sure it looked unnatural, probably even made him look constipated, but it was better than nothing. 

Why did Kyle’s face have to light up when he saw Kenny? Didn’t he know how unfair that was?

“Yeah, me and Steve were just looking for you, too.”

“Steve?” Kyle arched an eyebrow and Kenny made his pink octopus wave a tentacle. “You named it Steve?”

“What’s wrong with Steve?” Kenny pouted. Now that Kyle was frowning, it was easier to return to a sense of normality. 

“Nothing,” Kyle said, holding up his hands in defence. “I just thought it looked more like a Clarence.” 

Kenny rolled his eyes and made a gagging noise. With a laugh, Kyle shoved him and, just like that, they were back to normal. Back to Kenny and Kyle, two bros hanging out like friends do. 

“Where’s Stan?”

“With his girlfriend and boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend?”

“Butters.”

“I don’t get it.”

“You’ll figure it out one day,” Kenny said. “What’s in the bag? Let me guess, you finally found whatever it was you were looking for, right? Is it a present for a cute girl? Who is she? I might have to fight you for her if she’s too cute.” 

“It is a present,” Kyle said shyly. Kenny’s heart sunk. So there _was_ a cute girl. A catch like Kyle Broflovski was hardly going to stay single forever. He’d known this day would come eventually. What he hadn’t known was how it would make his heart feel as if it were being violently ripped from his chest, cracking his ribs and leaving a gaping hole in his chest.

He forced another smile and said lightly, “Who is it, then? Let me guess, Heidi?” 

“Why does it have to be a declaration of love?” Kyle asked, sounding genuinely curious. “I can buy gifts for friends, can’t I?” 

_Of course you can,_ Kenny thought, _but you were so desperately searching for whatever it was that it has to mean more._

Suddenly the bag was being thrust at Kenny’s chest. Hands already full, Kenny didn’t instantly accept. He peered at Kyle, whose gaze was fixed firmly on the ground, his cheeks a little flushed. 

“…You want me to make sure it’s okay to give to someone?” Kenny asked blankly. 

“It’s for you.” 

“…Oh.” Well, he hadn’t seen _that_ coming. “Uh… thanks?” His cheeks suddenly left like they were on fire. Man, had he read the situation wrong. He knew it was just Kyle being nice but after teasing him about the gift being a declaration of love, suddenly it felt weird to accept the bag. 

Shifting Steve under his arm, he accepted the gift but made no effort to look inside the bag. “Was that why you were so distracted? You were searching for a gift for _me_?” 

Looking anywhere but at Kenny, Kyle said “Yeah. That artist you like has a stall here. I contacted her a couple months back and asked her to design something for me.”

“You did?” Damn it, why couldn’t Kenny get his voice out louder than a whisper? 

“Yeah, dude. I mean, it’s just a silly little – ” Before he could finish, Kenny was throwing his arms around him. A little stunned, Kyle patted his back. “I love it!”

“You haven’t even looked at it yet.”

“I still love it,” Kenny choked. Nobody had ever done anything so thoughtful for him before. Kyle had gone out of his way to find and commission an artist Kenny had mentioned liking a couple of times in passing to get a present and it wasn’t even his birthday! “You shouldn’t spend so much money on me, man!”

“Will you just look at it already?!” Kyle said a little sharply, but Kenny knew it was just because he was embarrassed. “She said she included a free print of it as well.” 

Sniffing a little, Kenny pulled away, accidentally whacking Kyle in the face with Steve as he did so. Before he could apologise, Kyle was snatching Steve and the last of his cotton candy away so that he ‘had his hands free’ and was watching Kenny expectantly, worry lines decorating his forehead. 

With fumbling hands, Kenny opened the bag and groped inside until he felt soft material. A t-shirt. He pulled it out and held it out in front of him, eyes widening as he took in the design.

“Well?” Kyle asked nervously. 

Kenny burst out laughing. 

“Uh…”

“This is _gold_!” Kenny said in delight. He twisted the shirt around and held it up in front of him for Kyle to see. 

A chibi princess in a pink and white dress held up a peace sign at him. Underneath the dress she wore an orange parka. Kyle breathed out a sigh of relief. It looked just as good as he’d hoped. Kenny liking it was a huge bonus, too.

“It’s Princess Kenny, right?” Kenny asked eagerly. “Dude! I’m going to wear this _all_ the time.” 

“You really like it?”

“I fucking love it! Seriously, Ky, you are my favourite person ever right now.”

“Good,” Kyle said, his cheeks still tinged a light pink. If Kenny had been paying closer attention he might have noticed how his knuckles were white where he clutched Steve, or how his hands trembled slightly. Unfortunately Kenny was too busy beaming at his cartoon depiction. 

“Dude, where’s her stall? I want to thank her in person!” 

“Oh,” Kyle said, trying his best to keep his tone positive. _Of course_ Kenny wanted to thank her in person. That had even been the original plan, right up until Kyle had seen just how pretty she was in person. When Kenny had first mentioned her to Kyle he had spent several minutes gushing about hot she was. _‘Nobody has a right to be that hot and talented!’_

It was one thing hearing it and another entirely seeing it with his own eyes. “It’s just this way.”

She’d offered to post it. Kyle wished now that he’d accepted. Why hadn’t he accepted? Of course, he knew it was because meeting her would make Kenny even happier than the stupid t-shirt itself. It’s just, until faced with the reality, Kyle hadn’t considered what could happen when they _did_ meet. 

Still beaming ear to ear, Kenny linked arms with Kyle and began dragging him in the direction he’d pointed. Still tightly gripping Steve, Kyle found himself wishing he’d waited until the carnival was over before he’d given Kenny his present. He wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much but, suddenly, the thought of Kenny meeting the pretty artist he’d been following on Tumblr for well over a year now didn’t sit well with him. What if they ended up falling in love and Kenny forgot all about Kyle and left him behind?

Kenny falling in love should be a good thing. He deserved to be happy and loved. It was all Kyle wanted for him. 

So why did the idea fill him with dread? 

“Dude, what’s up?” They were in sight of her stall when Kenny stopped walking to turn and frown at Kyle. Apparently he hadn’t missed how stiff and agitated the Jewish boy had become. Then again, he wasn’t _blind._

“You’re not going to, like, fall in love with her and follow her home are you?” He felt stupid and childish even as the question escaped his lips. 

Kenny snorted. 

Indignantly, Kyle folded his arms across his chest. Once again he could feel his cheeks heating up. Some so called magical night this was. He just kept making a fool of himself. “What’s so funny?!”

“Kyle. She’s like twenty or something. I mean, I’m totally cool with older woman, and she’s _definitely_ hot, but somehow I don’t think she’ll be interested in an awkward thirteen-year-old.” 

Oh. Yeah. Kyle hadn’t considered that. 

“Wait. Were you jealous?” Kenny’s eyes twinkled as he asked the question. 

“Jealous?” Kyle spluttered. “As if! I didn’t even think she was that attractive.” 

Kyle was already looking away so he didn’t notice Kenny’s face fall. He also missed the movement of Kenny’s lips as he silently said ‘I didn’t mean jealous of _me_.’ And, perhaps, if he _had_ noticed those things, the euphoria he was feeling in that moment would have been increased twofold and the cracking across Kenny’s heart would have halted before it could break. 

But he _didn’t_ notice. Kyle was too busy being relieved that Kenny wouldn’t be running off with some artist. 

“So if you don’t think she’s attractive, what _is_ your type?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Brunettes?” Kyle said absentmindedly, his gaze fixed firmly ahead. 

“Right.” Kenny nodded.

He’d known Kyle was straight. Known that they never stood a chance. He’d convinced himself he was happy with just their friendship. For a second, though, when Kyle had presented such a thoughtful and personal gift he’d allowed himself to forget that fact. Now, the truth came crashing down around him, like the world was raining nails and one of those damn nails managed to pierce him right through his already cracked heart. 

It shattered. 

Magical carnival his ass. Kenny called shenanigans on the whole night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where we’re at right now, a guide: 
> 
> ***** Kenny is aware of his feelings towards Kyle but is convinced they aren’t reciprocated.  
>  ***** Kyle is crushing hard on Kenny and thinks the sun shines out his ass but hasn’t admitted it to himself yet despite the fact that he is jealous and wants to beat black and blue anyone who so much as looks at Kenny. He also hasn’t realised yet that Kenny thinks _everyone_ is hot but that doesn’t mean he fancies everyone. Also, goddamnit Kyle! Your type is cute blonds with blue eyes!!!  
>  ***** Stan is too clueless (bless his heart) to realise he isn’t straight and is totally into Butters. He also needs to break up with Sally because, damnit boy! Don’t screw with people’s feelings like that if you _know_ you’re not into them  
>  ***** Butters is just doing his own thing like a good egg. His parent’s are sure to ground him for life, though.  
>  ***** They are all dumb thirteen-year-old kids who don’t have a clue when it comes to their own hearts but think they know all when it comes to everyone else.  
>  ***** Cartman is a dick.  
>  ***** Wendy and Bebe may or may not be queuing for the Mystic Meg...


	3. Shenanigans (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a while, I’m so sorry about that! I was busy and then this chapter proved harder to write than I thought (I’m still not happy with it but you guys deserve an update) I’ll try and update sooner next time :D

**Shenanigans (part 2)**  
_Thirteen-years-old_

“Look! A Mystic Meg!”

With a quick grab, Bebe’s gloved hand encased hers, dragging the taller girl over to the plain white tent modestly decorated with fairy lights. It was nothing remarkable and Wendy herself wouldn’t have noticed it amongst the other attractions had she been alone. Bebe’s sharp eyes missed nothing, it seemed. 

“You know these things are cons, right?” Although she trailed faithfully after her (what choice did she have when the blonde practically dragged her?) Wendy frowned at her best friend, bemused by her eagerness to waste good money. Bebe was a smart girl, she should know better. She didn’t _really_ believe in psychics did she?

“Don’t be a spoilsport!” Bebe pouted.“It’s all good fun.”

“I don’t see how. It’s a waste of time and money.”

Bebe came to a stop, spinning on her heels to face her friend. “Wendy Testaburger,” she scolded. “You need to learn to lighten up, girl. You know Annie was telling everyone that she thinks you’re becoming a real bore lately, right?”

“She did?” Wendy couldn’t keep the hurt from her eyes. It was true that she had been struggling to maintain a firm friendship with her old girlfriends as of late but it still stung to hear that they were moving on from her and, apparently, deeming her unworthy of their time. Okay, they didn’t really have a lot in common anymore: Wendy just didn’t give a damn about the things that excited them. Boys, hair and makeup all seemed kind of one-dimensional to her now. She cared about the world, but her friends just weren’t there with her yet. She feared some of them never would be. 

Only Bebe remained consistent. Sure, Bebe enjoyed boy talk and beauty days as much as the rest of them, but she could also hold her own in a conversation about politics, called out people on sexism and devoured the books Wendy lent her in hopes of keeping common interests.

Bebe’s gaze softened. “Wends, I totally appreciate that you’re just not like some of the other girls anymore. You care about bigger things than they could ever even imagine. You think you’ve outgrown them. The thing is, babe, they are good, kind people who you have in your life for at least another five years. You should make an effort. Try and leave your comfort zone, y’know? You never even know, you might find that you actually have fun!” With that, Bebe gave a huge smile and continued her walk over to the tent. 

Wendy hesitated, watching Bebe’s blonde curls bounce as she walked away. Was she right? Could it be that Wendy was getting snobbish as she grew older, thinking herself better than her friends simply because she knew more about the world than them? And, if so, was she missing out on life with her views on the so called childish things her friends enjoyed? She thought back to just a few years ago, when she had gotten a thrill from the Pleases and Sparkles club and the topics they had thought so important. The club still existed, but it had been months since Wendy had attended. 

She’d thought she didn’t need it anymore. But maybe she needed it more than she realised. Maybe she still needed her friends and her childhood. 

Maybe she needed to let her hair down and have some fun. 

“Bebe! Wait up!” She hurried after the blonde. 

The smile Bebe gave her when she noticed Wendy joining her in the queue could melt hearts. Wendy could see why all the boys were falling head over heels for her recently. 

As they waited, they watched the crowd, waving at people they knew. Bebe nudged her after a few minutes, pointing at a familiar couple navigating the throng of people. Kenny McCormick was beaming ear to ear, clutching a bag close to his chest and a large stuffed octopus in his other hand. Kyle moved a step behind him, his smile strained. 

“When d’you think they’ll realise?” Bebe asked eagerly. 

“Realise what?”

Bebe rolled her eyes, a light sigh of exasperation escaping her lips. “You really haven’t noticed? Kenny and Kyle are clearly smitten with each other.”

Wendy frowned, eyes narrowing as she watched the two boys vanish in to the crowd. “You think? I thought Kenny was straight.”

“Oh please!” Bebe snorted in a very unattractive but endearing way. “That boy is pansexual. I’d bet my life on it.”

Wendy became aware then that she’d never really stopped and talked about sexuality with any of her friends, nor, she realised to her horror, had she ever considered her own. She’d danced around Stan for so long that she assumed she liked boys, end of, but had she ever really, truly loved Stan? And had she had a real crush on any other boy? Hearing Bebe talk so certainly about Kyle and Kenny put doubt into her mind that Wendy didn’t like one bit. 

Before she could dwell on it further, however, they were being summoned into the tent. 

“Please, sit.” The woman – the ‘Mystic Meg’ – was younger than Wendy had expected, maybe just mid thirties. She smiled kindly at the two teenage girls as they took a seat at the round table. A stack of tarot cards sat in its centre and Wendy almost rolled her eyes. How predictable. 

“You seem skeptical,” the woman noted, watching the noirette with interest. “Perhaps you should share some of your friends optimism?” 

Wendy couldn’t help but snort. Bebe kicked her under the table, smiling with satisfaction at the ‘ouch’ that followed. 

“Now, now girls. A little bit of scepticism never hurt anybody.” The woman was still smiling, completely unfazed by Wendy’s reaction to her. She was probably used to it. It was unlikely that anyone in her line of work had ever managed to avoid skeptics and abuse. One probably had to have thick skin. 

“So, what can I do for you girls?” 

Bebe looked doubtful. “Shouldn’t you tell us?” 

The lady gave a patient smile. “Are you hoping for some insight into your future? Maybe you’d like to know how many children you’ll have or if you’ll ever find true love?”

“I guess I want to know if I’ll make it in life? Have a successful career and not let my good looks ruin me.” 

And that, there, was what Wendy liked about Bebe the most. She knew she was beautiful but she didn’t want it to define her. She wanted to be successful in her own right. She wanted to fight for her goals rather than be handed them on a golden platter. 

The mystic seemed impressed, too. “I’m sure with an attitude like that, you’ll go far. Shall we see what the cards have to say?” A perfectly manicured hand reached out to the deck of tarot cards sitting on the table and gently pushed them towards Bebe. “Cut the deck,” she said and Bebe eagerly obliged, picking up the cards a little after quarter of the way through. “Now shuffle them together. Think about your question as you shuffle.”

When Bebe handed the cards back, the mystic placed the top three facedown in front of the blonde. 

“This card represents your past,” the lady told Bebe, turning the first card over. “The Fool.”

“The fool?” Bebe repeated, sounding disheartened. 

“Oh, my child, please do not worry. The Fool is not a bad card. Upright, it simply means the start of your journey. You were optimistic for the path ahead of you, believing that although anything can happen in life, everything would work out for you.”

“Oh my god,” Bebe gushed, “that feels so accurate!”

Wendy rolled her eyes. She was doing that a lot tonight. 

The mystic turned the next card. “The present,” she clarified as she turned it. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “The cards are surely favouring you.” She held up the card. It read ‘Strength’. 

“What does it mean?” Bebe asked eagerly. 

“You have inner strength. You can remain calm even in times of great struggle. You are compassionate and always make time for others, even at the expense of yourself. This will certainly help you on your path of success. You will fight for your goals but you will never be sneaky about doing so.” 

Bebe had once been a selfish little girl, but she had grown out of that and Wendy hated to admit that this card, also, rang pretty true of the blonde. 

The final card, the future card, was the High Priestess, reversed. “Your gut will be telling you something, but you will ignore it. This is likely due to confusion. You must never be afraid to ask questions, to yourself _and_ to others. When this path greets you, remember your optimism and inner strength, they will be of great assistance.”

“But what will I be confused about? Career choices?” Bebe’s eyebrows were drawn together, her lips pursed. Clearly she had been hoping for another wholly positive card. The Lovers, Wendy suspected. Something that assured her she would be happy and in love and life rather than confused and questioning herself. 

“I’m afraid I cannot answer that,” the mystic said. “I can read your palm and see if it offers any more insight?”

Bebe hummed. “Do Wendy’s cards first,” she said finally. 

“Bebe, no,” Wendy protested. It was a waste of time. She’d come inside to humour her friend, but she had no interest in the woman’s bullshit. 

“Oh come on, Wends. It’s just a bit of fun. Please?”

Great. Puppy dog eyes. 

“Fine,” Wendy sighed, “do it.”

The raven haired girl followed the mystics instructions and waited for the first of her three cards to be turned. 

“Interesting.” The mystic frowned as she, once again, revealed the Fool. This time, however, it was reversed. “You were in a position where you would have been best sticking sticking with the familiar. You made bad decisions and acted on impulse. Perhaps you were letting great opportunities pass you by.” The mystic met Wendy’s eyes, seemingly staring into her soul. “It can also mean that you were in an uncertain relationship.”

_Bingo._ Bebe gasped, giving the lady what she needed. 

“Let’s hope you learned. You’re far too young to be allowing boys to mess with your head and heart.” Her smile was kind but her words pissed Wendy off. Who was this stranger to interfere with her life as if she knew best? Sure, Stan had been a mistake. He was a good guy but they had never been in the healthiest of relationships. Then again, they hadn’t even been teenagers when they were dating. She didn’t think it was fair to be judged for her actions as a child. She knew better now that she was older, wiser. And if Stan thought dating Sally would make her jealous he had another thing coming…

If only he’d moved on as easily as she had. 

The mystic turned the present card and frowned once more. 

Strength. Reversed. 

“Holy crap,” Bebe whispered. 

“Most intriguing,” the mystic said, looking between the two girls. 

“I did shuffle them,” Wendy said, suddenly feeling defensive, as if she were being judged. 

“Of course,” the woman said kindly. “We watched you. I think your paths are very closely knit together.” 

“What does Strength mean reversed?” Bebe asked eagerly, reaching over to squeeze Wendy’s arm. 

“Have you been feeling lack of confidence in your own abilities? Reversed, this card generally means that you have forgotten your passions and the happiness and fulfilment that comes from doing what you love best. You must learn to gain confidence in order to harmonise your inner strength.”

Wendy remained silent, thinking back to the conversation she and Bebe had had before entering the tent and the uncertain feelings that had brought about. Was it possible the woman had overheard, or had someone in the crowd to fill her in on what was being said outside? 

Either way, she wasn’t entirely convinced. Bebe, on the other hand, had wide eyes and held a hand to her chest, deeply enthralled.

The mystic turned her attention to the final card. “The future card,” she said slowly, not reaching for it. 

“Do you think it’ll be the same as mine again?” Bebe asked breathily, eyes watching the card as if she expected it to do a trick. 

“Only one way to see,” the woman said, and slowly turned the card over. 

Of course. 

There lay the High Priestess, only this time, it was the correct way around. Her entire draw had been the same and yet opposite of Bebe’s, as if they were on the same path but taking alternative routes. If Wendy didn’t think this was all rubbish, she’d wonder what that meant for them.

“Upright, the High Priestess is related to inner knowledge. Perhaps now is the time to listen to your intuition rather than your intellect. For the answers you seek you will have to search deep within yourself. Follow your heart, not your mind. You will find what you are looking for, do not give up hope.”

For a long minute there was silence, each contemplating what had just been said. While Wendy might not believe in psychics, she couldn’t deny that a lot of what the woman had told them rang true. She must have been excellent at reading people, Wendy reasoned, to be able to be able to so accurately claim their traits.

The noirette pursed her lips. She didn’t like being called out on her lack of confidence recently. Sure, it might have been true but that didn’t mean having a stranger point it out was welcoming. Then again, according to both girl’s ‘futures’ Wendy was more likely to figure it out while Bebe was going to be left stumbling behind in the dark. 

Whatever it was they had to figure out, Wendy vowed there and then that she wouldn’t let Bebe struggle alone. They’d get through anything and everything together. 

“It looks like you girls have quite the bond,” the lady said, smiling at the pair. Behind her smile, Wendy saw doubt, as if this particular reading was not one she had experienced before and its results had left her unsure. It vanished almost as quickly as it appeared, however. “Now, about those palm readings?”

 

“Gghn!!” Tweek shivered violently and clutched his travel mug closer to his chest. “What if they’re watching, man?!” 

“Tweek, sweetie, nobody is watching,” Craig said, squeezing his boyfriends free hand a little tighter. Tweek had gotten it into his head that this carnival was a ruse and that South Park was under attack. Craig wasn’t sure if the masterminds were the government or aliens; Tweek seemed to jump between the two. 

“I can feel their eyes on me!” His words blended together, spoken in a rush as his huge green eyes flickered around the crowds. 

“Shall we go home?” Craig asked softly. He didn’t really care for the carnival anyway. Mostly, he’d just wanted to drag Tweek out. His coffee addict of a boyfriend hadn’t been going out recently. Instead he’d been scouring the internet for conspiracies, diving far too deep into the dark web for Craig’s liking. He’d hoped the carnival would take his mind off it all, but so far it seemed to be doing the reverse. 

“Jesus Christ, no!!” Tweek squeaked. “I don’t want them to know where I live, man!”

“We can go to mine?”

“That’s worse! What if they come get you in the middle of the night? I don’t want to have to rescue you, man. That’s way too much pressure!” 

Craig rubbed at his temple with his free hand. He loved Tweek – after all, they’d almost been together three years now – but, sometimes, he couldn’t deny that his boyfriend was hard work. He tried to keep Tweek away from conspiracy theories as much as possible but he couldn’t be with the blond all the time and, whenever Tweek was paranoid about something new, it surely meant that Craig was in for a bad nights sleep. He hoped tonight would be different. Man, he could really use some sleep… 

“Where would you like to go then?” he asked patiently. 

“Grrrr…” Tweek twitched violently and glanced around his surroundings, trying to pinpoint the best place for them to head. The pressure of the decision seemed too much for him, though, so Craig took lead, guiding his twitchy boyfriend over to a nearby stall where the prizes were stuffed toy aliens. 

Craig didn’t smile often but Tweek could always bring one out of him, much to the confusion of his facial muscles. Seeing Tweek’s already huge green eyes widen until Craig felt as if he could fall in them as he noticed the cute toys was enough to warrant one of those rare smiles. 

“Want me to win you one?” he asked. Tweek nodded, eyes flickering between the aliens and Craig in wide wonder. Despite all his fears about aliens infiltrating his mind or whatever else he believed, Tweek had a weakness for all things space. A weakness Craig was proud to say he was responsible for. 

Craig had never been the best at carnival games. For one, he believed they were fixed. Still, if he could make Tweek smile then he was sure as hell going to stand here until he won an alien, even if that took him all night. 

All he had to do was get three balls to stay in the bucket. That wasn’t so hard, right?

Wrong. 

For his first five balls, his aim was off. The next five, he was closer, even getting a couple in, but they bounced right out again. His next turn, he managed to get two balls to stay put; that was almost more frustrating than getting none. 

“Craig, it doesn’t matter,” Tweek said as Craig reached for his wallet again, fiery determination across his face. 

“I got this.” Craig was handing over the money before Tweek even had a chance to try and stop him. 

It didn’t matter if he ended up spending way more than it would cost to buy one of the stupid toys, it was the principal of things. Craig wanted the satisfaction of knowing he had earned that damn alien. That his boyfriend had wanted something and he had provided it. 

Damn did it feel good when he handed Tweek the alien fifteen minutes later, his pocket significantly lighter. 

For the smile on Tweek’s face as he hugged his new toy close to him, it was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I don’t know a lot about tarot cards so sorry if that shows. I found them really interesting as a teenager but never stuck with them so I had to google everything for the reading.


	4. Jealousy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry! I know I said I wanted to upload more often but things have been busy and will continue to be busy for a while. I’ve been working on an original YA fantasy series which has been taking up a lot of my time and December also has mine, my sister’s and my mum’s birthday as well as Christmas so, yeah, busy times. It doesn’t help that I’m also doing up a 200 year old house to move into soon, so that’s just another thing to keep me away from you guys and writing about my favourite boys :( That said, I will continue updating my fics (this, Zaron and - it is coming, I promise - the next part of Autumnal Haunting series) but things may continue to be quite slow, sorry! 
> 
> I really appreciate all your patience and support <3

**Jealousy**  
 _14-years-old_

Craig liked somebody else. Tweek was sure of it. It was the little things that had helped him realise; the fact that Craig took longer to reply to his frantic texts these days. The way he was distancing himself. That he would smile when he received messages from somebody else while he was with Tweek…

It had been bound to happen eventually. Tweek was surprised they’d even made it to freshman year. He’d thought for sure Craig would realise he’d made a huge mistake long before they made it to high school. Then again, kids from North Park and other nearby areas attended the same school now, so there were new people to catch Craig’s eye. At least, he _hoped_ it was someone new. Man, it would hurt all the more if it turned out to be someone they had grown up with. It would make Tweek wonder whether the feelings had always been there and he’d just been blind to them. Maybe everyone had known and was laughing at him behind his back. Poor little Tweek, oblivious to the fact that he’s just a charity case… 

Tweek growled and balled his fists at the very thought. If Craig had moved on from him that was fine, but he was nobody’s charity case!

Who was he kidding though, really? It wasn’t fine at all. Tweek didn’t know what he’d do without Craig. He was his rock. They came as a pair. There was no Tweek without Craig…

Tweek blew a strand of wild blond hair from his face. He was laying across his bed, feet pressed against the wall with his head hanging off the edge, staring at the ceiling, brooding. Because he was Tweek, and couldn’t sit still, his fingers were drumming across his chest. He was pretty certain he was drumming some popular song that had been playing nonstop on the radio recently, but he couldn’t remember what it was called. It didn’t really matter. He didn’t care.

If Craig was going to leave him then he wouldn’t care about anything ever again. 

There was a knock on his door. 

Tweek hadn’t been expecting the knock. It surprised him enough that he kicked off from the wall with enough force to slide from the bed and land in an ungraceful heap on the floor. 

His door opened at the thud. 

“Are you okay?” Tweek would know that monotonous voice anywhere.

“Fine,” he grumbled in reply. “I’m just chilling out.”

“It doesn’t look very comfortable.”

“Gah! It’s fine!” And, because he said it, he couldn’t very well move now even though his position was incredibly uncomfortable and his head hurt from falling on it. “What are you doing here, man?”

Craig didn’t answer straight away. He sat down on the floor, tilting his head a little to better look at the small blond in a heap. “I’ve been worried about you,” he said eventually.

Tweek snorted and finally pulled himself upright, trying his damn best to look like he was moving because _whatever_ , he felt like a change and not because his neck was starting to throb painfully. 

“What?” Craig narrowed his eyes at the blond’s reaction. 

“I just found it funny, is all.”

“What’s funny?” Tweek couldn’t tell if Craig was confused or annoyed. He wasn’t very good at expressing emotions and tended to look deadpan all the time. While Tweek could usually read him better than anyone else, right now he really couldn’t tell what mood his dark haired boyfriend was in. It made him nervous but being nervous was not something he wanted to be right now when Craig was probably about to break up with him, so instead he focused on being angry. 

“You pretending to be worried about me!”

“Pretending?” 

Now Craig definitely looked pissed. Stupidly, it just made Tweek all the more riled up. He became defensive, wanting to protect himself from the words Craig was ultimately going to say. 

“You might as well cut the act. I know you like somebody else.”

Craig blinked and opened and closed his mouth, apparently too flabbergasted at being caught out to think up an argument. Tweek felt his stomach drop. So he had been right after all?

In the silence that passed, Tweek’s thoughts were so noisy he was surprised Craig couldn’t hear them. They screamed at him, making him feel worthless. Making it impossible to look Craig in the face. He just wanted the noirette to leave. He just wanted to be alone. 

“You complete and utter moron,” Craig said finally. It was Tweek’s turn to blink. He looked up with a start. “Why the hell do you think that?”

“Gah! You’ve been texting somebody for days now. You light up when they text you, man!” 

Craig looked confused for a moment, going as far as to pull his cell phone out of his pocket to check his messages. “Oh,” he said finally. “You mean these?” He handed his phone over to Tweek who looked down to see a long message thread between Craig and Clyde. The subject of their long conversation seemed to be… him.

“Nngh… What… what is this?” Tweek scrolled through, scanning the messages so quickly he barely registered what was being said. 

“We were planning your birthday. It was meant to be a surprise.”

If it had been Clyde Tweek had confronted, the brunet would have lied, tried to make up some excuse or other. Tweek appreciated that Craig had spoiled the surprise straight off the bat. Anything else, and his mind would have continued to feed him conspiracies and lies. 

“You were planning a party?” He looked up at Craig, eyes wide and sparkling. 

“Just a small gathering. We were thinking of camping. Saturns meant to be visible that weekend so…” Craig trailed off with a shrug. 

Tweek felt terrible. He didn’t trust Craig and it had spoiled the best surprise ever. He felt the tears building in his eyes break loose and drop, staining his cheeks. 

“Hey now, honey,” Craig said softly, reaching forward to take Tweek’s hand. “I’m sorry that I made you doubt me. I’ve been a little distant because it’s hard to keep secrets from you. I want to tell you everything.” Coming from Craig, who spoke as little as possible, that meant so much that Tweek started to cry harder. Generally, he didn’t like to cry but he’d been so sure… He really thought Craig had met somebody else. He’d thought he was going to have to pretend to be happy when all he wanted to do was curl up and cease to exist. Tweek hiccuped as the noirette leaned forward, wrapping his arms around him. “I’m really sorry, Tweek.”

“Nngh,” he shook his head frantically against Craig’s shoulder, “I’m the one who should be sorry. I didn’t trust you, man! I thought you’d got bored of me.”

Craig pulled back just enough that he could meet Tweek’s eyes. “I could never grow bored of you, Tweek.”

Tweek sniffed. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

 

Kenny McCormick had a girlfriend. Stan knew this because Kyle phoned him to rant about it. 

“He didn’t even bother to tell me!”

“Dude,” Stan said, yawning. “It’s three AM.” 

“Apparently they got together on Monday. That’s three whole days, Stan. Three whole days!”

“I can count, dude.”

“Why didn’t he tell me?” The anger seemed to have drained from Kyle’s tone, leaving him sounding empty. Defeated. Stan sighed and rubbed at his nose.

“I dunno, man,” he said, having to suppress another yawn. “Maybe he was getting round to it?”

“Did _you_ know?” Ah, there it was, the Broflovski temper returning as quickly as it had vanished, Kyle’s tone full of accusations. 

“No, dude, I didn’t. And I don’t really care. It’s Kenny’s life.” That wasn’t to say that Stan was completely aware of why Kyle cared so much. Those two had been circling each other since forever. Stan was sure that Kenny’s latest fling wouldn’t last any longer than any of his others. He was, Stan was certain, trying to get a rise of jealousy from Kyle. The problem was, while it was incredibly successful, Kenny never knew because Kyle had mastered acting entirely indifferent about the situation when Kenny was around. 

Really, the two of them were clueless. It would be funny if it wasn’t so damn irritating. 

They were in high school now. Sure, it was only freshman year but Stan wasn’t effortlessly smart like Kyle was. He needed to get actual _sleep_ if he wanted to pay attention and learn anything in class and having his super best friend call him at insane o’clock took away from that precious sleep. 

He’d have to rely on Butters again in class, it seemed. The blond was too good to him, allowing him to copy his notes and even going as far as to tutor him when he was really stuck. Stan wasn’t sure what he’d do without Butters. Kyle wasn’t in a lot of the same classes as him and got a little funny about letting people copy his notes anyway. The only other person who could help was Cartman but people only copied from Cartman if they wanted to get the answer _wrong._

“I had to find out via facebook. _Facebook_ , Stan!” Kyle was still ranting away. To be honest, Stan wasn’t sure what he’d been saying for the past minute. He just hummed in agreement whenever his fiery friend paused for breath. 

Stan wasn’t sure when he’d started calling Butters his friend. Somehow, over the past few years they just kept ending up around each other. With his parents’ deteriorating relationship, and the fact that they kept taking it out on their children, the blond seemed to be the only one who got him recently. Their study sessions together often ended up being moral support and bitching sessions about their equally terrible parents. 

“I didn’t even know he’d ever talked to her before,” Kyle was saying. 

“Well, you know Kenny. He’s a bit of a drifter,” Stan said, thinking he better contribute before Kyle cottoned on that he wasn’t really paying much attention. 

“You know it was Butters of all people who gave it away. He mentioned something about a double date on one of Kenny’s photos.”

_That_ got Stan’s attention. Butters and Lola went on double dates with him and Red. It was _their_ thing. 

“What did Kenny say?” he asked quickly.

“‘Sound’s good.’ _Sounds good!_ I know for a fact that Kenny can’t stand Lola.”

“Kenny likes everyone, dude,” Stan said, though his mind was still stuck on Butters arranging a double date with somebody else. It wasn’t really a big deal and Stan didn’t know why it made his stomach drop. 

“Dude, come on. You _know_ he’s friends with Bebe and Wendy, and after the shit that went down there…” 

“I stay out of the girls drama, dude.”

“Like Red hasn’t told you everything,” Kyle scoffed. Red actually hadn’t told him much about whatever the latest drama was surrounding the girls. Then again, Red didn’t really tell him a lot. She was far more interested in kissing him than making small talk. Stan didn’t mind so much. She was a good kisser. Much better than Sally, Millie or Esther had been. It had never felt right dating any of them. Nobody had matched up to Wendy, he wasn’t sure anyone ever would. People were right when they said you never forgot your first love. 

“Look, dude.” Stan sighed and glanced at his clock. It was almost half three now. “We’ve got school tomorrow. Can’t we talk about it then?”

“We don’t have any classes together.”

“Lunch. Hell, after school. I don’t give a shit. I just want to sleep, dude.”

“I don’t think I _can_ sleep,” Kyle grumbled. 

“And why is that? Why do you care so much?” Stan had lost what little patience he’d had. 

“Because Kenny’s meant to be my friend, dude! He’s meant to tell me things.”

“You keep telling yourself that.” Stan hung up before Kyle could argue. Man, he really couldn’t wait for Kyle and Kenny to stop fucking around and realise they were crazy about each other. Maybe then, he’d actually get some sleep. 

Talking of sleep…

Stan turned off his lamp and laid back down, closing his eyes. 

He hoped Butters wasn’t planning to replace him. Stan wasn’t sure he could hack dates with Red alone. He needed Butters there to keep the conversation going. Butters was surprisingly good at holding together a conversation. He was also pretty damn funny and was able to keep Stan more than entertained while Lola and Red gossiped about whatever that day’s drama had been. 

God. Now he was feeling restless. Kyle had woken him up too much to drift seamlessly back to sleep. He cracked open an eye to see the clock read four-o-three. He sighed, shifted his position and squeezed his eyes shut again. 

Really, though, there was no reason Butters had to stop double dates with him if he went out with Kenny too. He could do both, right? Maybe they could even do a triple date? Kenny spent so much time with other friends or Kyle nowadays that Stan hardly saw him. 

Butters would be up for it, he was sure. Though, they probably shouldn’t tell Kyle about it… 

Kyle really needed to hurry up and realise just how smitten he was for his parka wearing friend. How clueless could you get? 

It was another hour before Stan finally drifted back to sleep, thoughts of Kyle, Kenny and Butters plaguing his dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not saying Stan’s making his way through all the girls on route to figuring out it’s Butters he really wants but... 
> 
> Sorry it’s so short!


	5. Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy holidays y’all! <3

**Christmas**  
 _Fourteen-years-old_

Kyle was Jewish. He didn’t celebrate Christmas. Kenny knew this, and that’s why he couldn’t comprehend why Kyle had sent him a text asking if he could pop over to deliver his Christmas gift in person.

Had they done presents before? He couldn’t recall doing so. Besides, he never had the money to buy anyone other than Karen a Christmas gift. His friends knew that. Kyle _definitely_ knew that. This year he’d had to make an exception to that rule, albeit only a small one. He’d gotten his girlfriend, Ashley, a bracelet much to Cartman’s apparent amusement. Cartman had called him whipped. Kenny hadn’t argued. He had also avoided looking at Kyle’s reaction to the whole exchange, though. Things had been a bit shaky between the pair since. 

Which just made the Christmas gift all the stranger. 

Still, he sat out in the snow, too embarrassed to invite Kyle inside when he arrived. That, too, confused him. Kyle had been inside his dump of a house plenty of times before. He wouldn’t judge the new cracks in the walls or stains in the carpet. He would probably even smile at the paper chains Kenny and Karen had painstakingly made in a fruitless attempt to make the place feel more Christmassy. Kyle wasn’t Ashley. They’d been together four months now and Kenny had yet to invite the girl round, despite her knowing, like the rest of the school, just how poor he was. It was one thing knowing something and another entirely witnessing it first hand, after all. 

Kenny shivered deeper into his hoodie, wishing he was wearing something a little more substantial than leggings. They hugged his legs and bum nicely though. Not that that mattered, of course. It was only Kyle who would see him. 

It didn’t matter what Kyle thought… _right?_

Glancing beyond the tracks, he wondered if the red head had changed his mind and wasn’t coming after all. He didn’t have a watch but from the frostbite claiming his fingers, Kenny had been outside a while now. 

It wouldn’t be the first time he froze to death.

Just as he was starting to think that might be the case, Kyle’s front door opened, and the red head emerged carrying a very large box. Kenny narrowed his eyes and stood abruptly. Whatever Kyle had bought him, he couldn’t possibly ever hope to pay him back. It was too much. 

Jogging across the train tracks – thank God no unexpected trains suddenly appeared out of nowhere – Kenny caught up with Kyle before he could even leave his driveway. 

“Oh, hey dude,” Kyle said, only a little surprised. “Too eager to see the surprise?”

“I can’t accept this, Kyle,” Kenny said abruptly. No point in beating around the bush. 

“You don’t even know what it is.”

“I know it’s too much. You don’t even celebrate Christmas, dude.” 

“No but you do. Or call it a Chanukah gift. Whatever.”

“Kyle, seriously…”

“It’s for Karen too!” Kyle argued quickly. “Well, all of your family, really.” Okay, that made Kenny pause. Turning down a gift for himself was easy. Turning one down for his little sister was admittedly a lot less so. 

“What is it?” Kenny asked sceptically.

“Let’s go round yours and I’ll show you.”

Kenny hesitated, once again uncertain as to why he didn’t want Kyle entering his house. Perhaps it was because it had been a while since his neighbour had come around. Over the past few years they had gotten closer, but they spent much of their time either out and about or round Kyle’s. 

Finally though, he agreed. Kyle would only push the matter if he tried to argue. And whatever reason made him pause was a stupid one anyway. 

“Let’s go to my room,” Kenny said, pushing open the front door. He liked to keep his room tidy compared to the rest of the house.

“Did you and Karen make those?” Kyle nodded his head to the paper chains, in no rush to move along, apparently unaware of Kenny’s discomfort. 

Nobody was at home. After much begging, his mom had taken Karen Christmas shopping. They’d probably only gone to the dollar store but as long as his little sister could get her best friend, Ruby, a present, she was happy. Kenny suspected he might also be on the receiving end of a little gift from his sister… 

His dad and brother were both working at their separate jobs. Most of what they earned, with the addition of Kenny’s wages too, ended up keeping a roof over their head but at least they all had jobs this year. There had been previous Christmases where they’d all been unemployed and had almost lost the house. That was not something they wanted to happen at any point of the year but, to happen at Christmas… Kenny shivered and didn’t allow the thought to fester. 

“Yeah,” Kenny answered quietly, a little embarrassed. 

“I remember making them back in elementary school. Next year you have to let me join you, dude.” There wasn’t even a hint of teasing in Kyle’s tone. Kenny ducked his head as he felt his cheeks heat up. 

“Sure,” he mumbled, tugging at the strings of his hoodie despite the hood being down. “Come on.” He led the way to his bedroom and shut the door behind them, instantly feeling more at ease once the rest of the house was shut off from them. 

Kyle placed the large box down on the carpet and then stared around the room. His eyes lit up as he spotted something sitting on Kenny’s bed. 

“You still have Steve!”

“Of course, I still have Steve, dude!” Kenny punched Kyle’s shoulder playfully, previous discomfort vanishing now that he was in his safe spot. “He’s family. What am I gonna do? Toss him into the street?” The pink octopus happily chilled on the bed, his top hat and monocle making him look rather dapper. “ _I_ can’t believe you remember his name.”

Kyle shrugged nonchalantly. “I remember a lot about that night.”

Kenny did, too. It had been the night he’d decided to give up his crush on Kyle Broflovski. It wasn’t going as well as he’d hoped, but Ashley helped. She was cute and funny and her eyes lit up whenever she saw Kenny. God knows why. It made him feel wanted though, instead of just the kid everyone always seemed to forget about. It was nice to have somebody care about him. 

Not that Kyle didn’t care. But it was different. Or, at least, that’s what Kenny _had_ thought.

Kyle nudged the large box closer, suddenly shy. “I hope this is okay,” he said quietly. 

Taking a deep breath, Kenny opened the box. There was probably an entire months worth of food in it. And not frozen waffles and pop tarts like the McCormick’s were used to. No, there was a mixture of fresh and tinned vegetables, cheese, meat… the works. 

“I wanted you guys to have a nice Christmas,” Kyle said sheepishly, not meeting Kenny’s eyes. “Ma helped. We thought you could have a real Christmas meal this year.” They both knew that this food wouldn’t all be consumed on one day, but it was a beautiful gesture either way. Trust Kyle Broflovski to buy practical – maybe even life saving – gifts. 

Kenny really didn’t know what to say. It was the most thoughtful gift anyone had ever gifted him – potentially trumping the amazing princess shirt Kenny still wore regularly – simply because it meant Karen wouldn’t go hungry for the next few weeks. 

Still…

“It’s too much,” Kenny said quietly. “Kyle, you shouldn’t have.”

“Please don’t get stubborn and say you won’t accept charity. One, it’s _not_ charity. Two, I’m not gonna beat around the bush. I know you need this food, Ken. And I know you’ll accept it if only for Karen. Besides, like I said, it’s for your entire family from mine. The label has all our names on, see?” And so it did. There was Kyle, then Shiela, Ike and, in Kyle’s handwriting (because obviously the man refused) was Gerald. 

“Kyle…”

“You’re welcome, Kenny,” Kyle said firmly, knowing that the blond had been about to attempt another weak protest. 

Kenny allowed himself a smile then, his gaze unwavering on Kyle’s until… _Oh no…_ He looked away quickly, certain feelings he’d shoved aside threatening to make a dramatic return. 

_Kyle doesn’t feel the same,_ he reminded himself. That, and he had a girlfriend now. 

But, with how Kyle was looking at him, Kenny was starting to doubt himself… 

 

Bebe and Clyde had broken up. They’d been dating for maybe six months – six of the worst months of Wendy’s life. She had only realised halfway through those six months why. She would have figured it out sooner, but she just hadn’t really stopped to think about it. 

She had continued not to think about it until she had burst into tears after a gleeful Bebe had hung up the phone, having called to gush about just how much she loved Clyde. 

Wendy Testaburger was completely head over heels for her best friend. 

How inconvenient. 

She had told her parents she was poly a few months ago so that wasn’t the problem. She was even pretty open about it with her friends. Her sexuality was nothing to be ashamed of, after all. 

No, the problem, as far as her many lists indicated, was that Bebe was ninety-nine percent probably straight. Not once in the fourteen years Wendy had known her had Bebe indicated otherwise.

It was just Wendy’s luck to fall for the straight girl. 

And now she had to comfort her sobbing friend when all she wanted to do was punch the air and cheer. Right now wasn’t about her, though. So, she ignored her own feels in favour of stroking Bebe’s soft blonde curls. 

“Didn’t you end it?” Wendy said softly, a little confused as to why Bebe was so upset. 

“Yes but!” Bebe hiccuped and withdrew a little from Wendy’s chest. The raven-haired girl instantly missed her closeness. “It still hurts,” she whined. “And think of all those shoes I’m missing out on…” Wendy rolled her eyes. She knew Bebe wasn’t as shallow as all that. Complaining about shoes was her way of dealing with the situation. Bebe seemed to realise Wendy knew this as she added, “He looked so upset when I told him.”

Ah, so she felt bad. 

“He’ll get over it,” Wendy said. “Give him some space, sweetie. You’ll be friends again in no time.” Friends. That sounded so much better than girlfriend and boyfriend. Friends Wendy could deal with. 

Bebe wasn’t consoled, though. “I shouldn’t have done it so close to Christmas.”

“You had to do what was right for you, hun. Staying with him so that he could have a happy Christmas would have just made you miserable.” 

Bebe sniffed. Why was it that she was still so beautiful when crying? Wendy didn’t cry often but when she did, she was a complete and utter mess. “You’re right,” the blonde said, wiping at her tears. She managed a small smile. “Of course, you’re right.”

“I always am,” Wendy said playfully. “You have every right to be sad over it ending, but please don’t feel guilty.” 

“I’m so glad I have you in my life, Wends!” Bebe threw her arms around the other girl, hugging her tightly. Wendy felt her stomach flutter. Having Bebe pressed so closely against her was both wonderful and tortuous. Wonderful because she was so soft and so close. Wendy could feel every inch of her through the thin blouse she wore. 

Torturous because she couldn’t do anything about it. She couldn’t kiss the blonde. She couldn’t touch her. 

Jesus Christ! When had she become a horny teenager? At a guess, the moment she had realised she apricated Bebe for far more than her sass and her reliability. 

She settled for stroking Bebe’s soft curls once more, revelling in the smell of her apricot shampoo. 

“I’ve got to do some lame family thing on Christmas day,” Bebe said, finally drawing away. Wendy missed her proximity at once. “But are you free boxing day?” 

Wendy wasn’t sure she technically was, but she couldn’t stop the nod of affirmation. She’d figure something out. She was Wendy Testaburger; she could figure anything out.

Anything except how to deal with the huge crush she had on her best friend. 

As soon as Bebe left, she needed to call Kenny. 

“Wends,” Bebe said after a short silence. She suddenly looked thoughtful, her eyebrows knotted together, and her lips pursed. At Wendy’s acknowledgement, she continued. “D’you remember that psychic reading?”

How could Wendy forget? It was that day that she had finally begun questioning her sexuality. She remembered it clearly. Bebe had pointed out Kyle and Kenny to her and it had sent her thoughts spiralling. Later, when she had really digested and analysed what the ‘psychic’ (she was still sceptical) had said to her, it had got her thinking. 

When she considered that day, it almost made her embarrassed that it still took her so long to realise how much she adored Bebe. The lady had said it herself. Wendy and Bebe’s paths were twined.

“What about it?” She wasn’t very well going to admit just how clearly she remembered it all. 

“Do you ever wonder about why our cards were so similar and yet so opposite?” Bebe had asked this at the time, too. She had analysed the tarot reading for several days before growing bored and moving on. 

“I guess we were just destined to be bffs,” she answered carefully, forcing a small smile. 

Bebe scrutinised her for a moment then answered with her own, bright smile. “Forever and ever!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re gonna be getting some Mysterion soon, which is the reason for the graphic violence warning. Fun times


End file.
